The Volkswagen Routan's "German Engineering" ad campaign has provided plenty of irony-laced comedic fodder for the Autoblog water-cooler, and VW's own press release doesn't help, heralding the Routan as "a stylish alternative to the minivan." An alternative to what? In a perfect world, VW would have revolutionized the moribund minivan segment with a production version of the 2001 Microbus concept, thereby capitalizing on V-Dub's cheeky heritage in the same way the new Beetle did in the late '90s, and perpetuated by other vehicles like the MINI Cooper and Fiat 500 today. Thankfully, all ... Read More

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Report: Chrysler slows minivan production, hasn't built VW Routan this year 1363177500

Chrysler has slowed production of its Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans this week, Automotive News reports. The Windsor, Ontario plant will cut its three shifts from eight hours each to four hours each in an effort "to align production with market demand," a Chrysler spokesperson told AN. Chrysler also builds the closely related Routan ...
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Report: Volkswagen to resume Routan minivan production in 2013 after all 1355863560

Last week, we reported that production of the Chrysler-based Volkswagen Routan minivan had been halted since July, and its future seemed grim. It appears now that the Volkswagen minivan will live on, with production resuming in 2013. According to an Automotive News report, the Routan will be unchanged for the 2013 model year (surprise!) and continue to be ...
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Report: Volkswagen Routan production halted, could lead to vehicle's demise 1355513460

The Volkswagen Routan has quietly been out of production since July, but with a new three-row crossover on the way and a recent back-and-forth spat between Volkswagen executives and Sergio Marchionne of Fiat, it's probable that the 2012 model year could be the last for this minivan. The current agreement for Chrysler to build the Routan in Windsor, ...
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Los Angeles: Volkswagen confirms three-row utility for Detroit, no Routan replacement in sight 1354152060

At a small media roundtable session with journalists at the Los Angeles Auto Show today, Klaus Bischoff, Volkswagen's head of global design, confirmed that VW's much-rumored three-row utility vehicle will be "most hopefully" revealed at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. The vehicle is expected to be at once larger and less expensive than the Touareg range, ...
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Cars.com performs ultimate minivan shootout. Guess who won... 1306692120

Cars.com rounded up the year's crop of new minivans for a comparison, the rare thrill being that minivans from every major maker are completely fresh for 2011. The entrants were the Nissan Quest (pictured), Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Town & Country, Volkswagen Routan and Dodge Grand Caravan. The testing format was also novel, in that ...

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Volkswagen recalling 12,612 Routans for same ignition problem as Chrysler minivans 1299850200

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Volkswagen is recalling 12,612 Routan minivans for an ignition fault. The recall covers 2010 model year vehicles manufactured between October 2009 and June 2010, and NHTSA says that the vehicles' ignitions may inadvertently switch between "run" and "accessory," effectively shutting off the ...
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Mommies on Minivans: Practical, but where's the style? 1295650860

Toyota can call the Sienna a swagger wagon all it wants, but the slogan isn't going to make moms any happier about hopping behind the wheel. According to The Detroit Free Press, most mothers aren't fooled by gimmicky marketing or the latest attempts to redesign the minivan as a stylish piece of transportation. Reporter Krista Jahnke followed a group of ...
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Report: Volkswagen Routan might not be back for an encore 1277325120

"No decisions have been made regarding the Routan." This according to a source from Volkswagen. Unsurprisingly, the re-branded Chrysler minivan is rumored to be receiving less-than-enthusiastic support from Volkswagen's current management, and the ambivalence might spell doom for the Routan. Volkswagen's sales are down, though it's not necessarily the ...
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VW recalls nearly 16,000 Routan minivans on heels of Chrysler callback for same 1276693140

2009 Volkswagen Routan – Click above for high-res image gallery Chrysler recently announced the recall of 285,000 2008 and 2009 Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans because of an improperly routed wiring harness in the sliding doors. If you were thinking that your Volkswagen Routan, which is almost completely identical to the ...
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REPORT: VW banking on Oprah giveaway to raise awareness of slow-selling Routan minivans 1247488380

If you close your eyes and think about the Volkswagen product lineup, products like the Golf, Jetta, and Passat are sure to come to mind. Most won't picture the Routan minivan, because most Americans don't even know the rebadged Dodge Grand Caravan exists. Sales of the Routan are so bad that the minivan hasn't been made since January, and production isn't ...